Pacific Grove and Homestead squared off in some playoff action on Saturday, but Pacific Grove had to settle for second. They lost 8-1 to the Homestead Mustangs. Having soared to a lofty 13 runs in the game before, Pacific Grove couldn't push the score so high this time.
For Homestead's part, Mackenzie Smith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up nine Ks. Smith has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in 11 consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Izzy Gutierrez, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances. Cierra Hagan was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Pacific Grove's defeat dropped their record down to 13-11-1. As for Homestead, their victory bumped their record up to 10-11.
Pacific Grove does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Homestead, they will square off against St. Ignatius College Preparatory on Tuesday. Homestead's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so St. Ignatius College Preparatory's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
